Erick Morillo, the producer and DJ best known for the 1993 hit “I Like to Move It,” was found dead this morning (September 1) in Miami Beach, TMZ and Miami’s Local 10 report. A cause of death has not been revealed. Morillo was 49 years old.
Update (11/18 9:01 p.m. ET): Billboard has reported that according to a report by the Miami Dade County Medical Examiner, Erick Morillo died of “acute ketamine toxicity.” Morillo was reportedly found unresponsive at his home in Miami by his cousin. MDMA and cocaine were in Morillo’s system and officers found “possible drug paraphernalia including multiple syringes” at the scene, according to Billboard.
Erick Morillo spent his childhood in Cartagena, Colombia, New York, and New Jersey. He began making music in the early ’90s under the name Reel 2 Real. In 1993, he collaborated with Trinidadian vocalist the Mad Stuntman for his iconic song “I Like to Move It.” The track appeared on 1994’s Move It! and regained popularity when it was featured heavily in the 2005 DreamWorks animated film Madagascar.
Morillo made just one more album as Reel 2 Real (1996’s Are You Ready for Some More?) before launching his own label, Subliminal Records, in 1997. He released numerous singles and remixes, as well as his 2004 full-length My World, on Subliminal.
According to Local 10, Erick Morillo was arrested and charged with sexual battery of a woman last month. The alleged incident took place in Miami Beach in December 2019. Morillo denied the allegations, according to Local 10. He was reportedly scheduled for a court hearing this Friday, September 4.
This article was originally published on Tuesday, September 1 at 3:25 p.m. Eastern. It was last updated on November 18 at 9:01 p.m. Eastern.
